SOUTH PACIFIC TRADE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14590, 27 April 1918, Page 5

SOUTH PACIFIC TRADE.

CONTROL OF THE ISLANDS

CElec. Tel. Copyright— United Press Assn.)

MELBOURNE. April 26. The inter-State Commission's report to Parliament on British and Australian trade m the South Pacific, says the pre Henb control of the islands by the British Crown* lacks cohesion and system. It suggests that the question is ripe for settlement whether some federated control should not be : devised at an early date, and authority might be established with, but slight change, if any, m the respective 1 Governments of the several tracts of the Pacific, but with powers of supervision and co-ordination not at present possessed. Such authority would not be subject m any way to the Commonwealth Government, but the High Cornmissionership °f * no Pacific could be held or not held m conjunction with the office of .'Governor-General of Australia. This would be a suitable kernel from which such a form of Pacific federation might' naturally grow. Federated control should preferably have at its central seat, the natural, rendezvous of most Papific trade arid 'shipping — Sydney. Fiji was; not centra I 1 for administrative and commercial purposes. •■;■:■ •

The Commission suggests that m order to ensure a timely settlement of the question, the Government conduct a joint inquiry with representatives of the United ingdom, Australia,' and New Zealand. ':■• . j . 'Ohe report draws attention to the necessity for a better '.'., international agreement as regard the New Hebrides, and the importance of solving the question of an efficient supply of labor m developing the trade of the Islands. The Commission is satisfied that without' considerable Subsidies,' it would be impossible to further develop trade, or that with Australia or other parts of the Empire. If 'Australia could consume a substantial proportion of the output of copra> she 1 would have no difficulty m controlling the Island trade. The Commonwealth could, with considerable commercial advantage, afford to allow nearly all the productions of the Islands to be admitted free. • •- -

' The repdrt advises that the attention of the Imperial Government be- directed to the serimis necessity for Australia retaining- British rights m the 1 Island of Nauru, whether by its transference to the British flag or.by guarantees against any violation of its commercial status before the war.

i The report generally indicates scope for developing cattle-raising; coffee, cocoa, tapioca, vanilla^ and every tropical production^jnvtheftlands.